Rational Gaze

*I first commented on this song in 2008, four years ago. I'm commenting again because in those four years I've changed and so my interpretation of the song has changed.* I no longer believe that the "rational gaze" of the song title refers to the world as experienced by the bare sense organs precisely because the sense organs often deceive us, prompting the philosophers to declare that we need rationality to know what's truly real. In an ironic reversal of my original interpretation, I now think that what is being criticized is precisely this rational outlook of the philosophers and of our current empirical scientific paradigm. Indeed, Meshuggah implores us to let go of this rational gaze, this lens which we place over the naked eye to break the world into small pieces so that we may know all of it. My earlier interpretation equated the rational gaze with the workings of the naked eye, but it seems clear to me now that the rationalistic outlook is just a tool, one that has been overused to devastating consequences on the human spirit and the biosphere. I used to be threatened and befuddled by the message of this song, being a strict materialist at the time. It seemed to me to be a gateway to all sorts of unverifiable nonsense, and perhaps it still is. But I have come to appreciate the meaning of the saying, "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." And so perhaps we should learn to live with the truth of uncertainty, embracing that we cannot know everything under the sun by reduction or representation--that something just as real (though not amenable to measurement) is lost when "everything is examined, separated one thing at a time."

Great song. I was surprised to hear this on a net radio station out of Las Vegas (knac.com... good stuff). In any case, I think this song is about cutting away from the images and words of "truth" known as the news. Everything we see, whether on TV, newsprint, the Internet, or heard on radio... it has to be taken with a grain of salt. The ones who realize this "complete the disintegration" and dissemination of the truth from lies. In the end though, "the ladder beyond our grasp" and there is nothing we can do to change the huge political machine in place. So, "we walk among the ignorant", knowing that there is not much we can do. In being dissidents, we only run into trouble with no solution, and so we "never stray from the common lies." Great song.

I would agree man, well said. This is my favorite Meshuggah song, some good lyrics here.

yep that's what i thought too but like most songs it was the music that gave me aural pleasure

To me this song takes a leaf out of Tool's tree of thought... don't let people tell you what you're seeing or hearing, make up your own mind about things.

I think the lyrics are a bit muddled up here. This is how they should be... Squint your eyes to see clearly. Blur reality to make it real Let focus go from your deceiving eyes to know whats been conceved we've all been blinded-subjects to visual misinformation a systematic denial of the crystalline To see the fine grain-to read the hidden words the context of parallel truth-devoid of fragmentation Our light induced image of truth-filtered blank of it's substance as our eyes won't adhere to intuitive lines Everything examined. Separating one thing at a time. The harder we stare the more complete the disintegration - dissolution Eyes reopened. Reasoning focalized. Receptors activated. perspectives distorted the ladder beyond our grasp the twinheaded serpent forever hidden where's the true knowledge where engines of the sane and insanity merge the clarity - the unity reality untouchable, transparent, invisible to our fixed, restricted fields of vision Existence taken for granted absolute Possessed, owned, controlled by the common self infected rational gaze Onward forever we walk among the ignorant never stray from the common lines This is a snappy tune, and I often find myself whistling it down the street. It's a shame they cancelled the show i was due to see them at..

Meshuggah seems to use psychological observations. Where these are derived from is your interpretation. Psychology, kabbalah, mysticism, come up with your own interpretation. Many cultures believe strange things, like in kabbalah it speaks as if this world is an illusion. It doesn't even exist. It's "nothing". Now who is to say that the majority of humans have it right? A disturbing number of college students still believes that our eyeballs emit light causing them to see. Of course this is wrong, but the reality is that is counter-intuitive and that's what I think this song is about. Personally most meshuggah songs remind me of kabbalah.

Hahaha, This song rocks. It's about how many humans are blinded by being told what they should be.

This song is about relativism and how we humans will never be able to 'reach' absolute knowledge, as we are confined to our human way of thinking. In fact, the term 'absolute knowledge' is a human term, and we will never be able to sanely cross our 'thinking borders' to somehow understand what's beyond them. This I believe is what the lines "perspectives distorted, the ladder beyond our grasp, the twinheaded serpent forever hidden" point to. I believe the lines "reality untouchable, transparent, invisible to our fixed, restricted fields of vision, Existence taken for granted absolute" definitely point towards relativism. Did anyone read the book 'Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance'? In it, the main character discovers a different way of understanding the world, a way of thinking which leads out of the 'human realm' of thinking. The more he tries to perceive this understanding, the more he slips away, eventually turning insane, at least in our eyes. I think this what concerns the lines "where's the true knowledge, where engines of the sane and insanity merge". For those wondering what the hell I'm babbling about: try looking up the terms 'relativism', 'absolute knowledge', and 'sophism' in Wikipedia and things will hopefully become clearer. :)

HCN is one the right track. This song is about a lot more than just media manipulation. Basically it's restating the old saying "The map is not the territory." What we perceive is only what we believe to be real. That doesn't make it real. Meshuggah seems influenced by the work of Philip K. Dick in this regard.